An Update on the downer cow syndrome

Abstract

Originally, the downer cow condition was often thought of as a separate entity, but more recently it is commonly considered to be a complication of parturient hypocalcemia (“milk fever”). Minnesota research indicates that it would be more accurate to think of it as a complication of primary recumbencies due to a variety of causes. The most common cause of primary recumbency, however, is hypocalcemia, and therefore, this view is really a detailed refinement of the generally held notion. While there appear to be a variety of conditions responsible for primary recumbency, all recumbent animals are susceptible to pressure damage. Pressure damage, then, is the common factor uniting all forms of primary recumbency and a common complication of all forms of recumbency.